


Disorganized Electrical Activity

by avalonjoan



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Tower, Caretaking, Cuddling & Snuggling, Epilepsy, F/M, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, M/M, Multi, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Seizures, because everyone always does that, but not cancer, it can be romancey, or it can be friendly, read what you want, three in a bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 23:10:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2750579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avalonjoan/pseuds/avalonjoan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky has his first seizure.  Steve and Nat go with him to the infirmary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Disorganized Electrical Activity

Bucky has his first seizure on his way into a meeting with the rest of the Avengers. He’s only been back to being himself (well, close enough) for a few months, and everyone’s still a little unsure of what to expect around him, so when he pauses just past the threshold of the room and a dazed look crosses his face, Nat stands, ready to act if this is the time the Winter Soldier takes over. But no one expects him to drop to the floor convulsing, hitting his head on the table on his way down. No one moves except Bruce, who stands up and starts giving instructions, getting the others to move the table and chairs out of the way. Steve takes a few seconds to react, but he’s got all this energy and absolutely no idea what to do, When he goes to put pressure on Bucky’s bleeding forehead, Bruce stops him, explaining that holding the other down might hurt him more, so Steve just kneels on the floor and watches. 

The Tower’s medical team arrives within minutes (Stark must have called), and Bucky’s since stopped seizing, but he’s still barely conscious, shifting his weight uselessly as the medics help him onto the stretcher. Steve goes down to the infirmary with him, and Nat follows, mainly for emotional support as opposed to backup, this time. By the time they have Bucky moved onto another bed, he’s talking like he’s sleepy or drunk or both, and when Steve touches his cheek, he breaks into a grin and nuzzles against the other’s fingertips before closing his eyes and lying back on the pillow. 

One of the benefits of working with a tech pioneer is that the occupational health office has everything from a lab to analyze blood samples to a fully operational CT scanner, so Bucky doesn’t have to go to an outside hospital, and besides, no one’s really sure how well that would go over. The physician assistant comes in to explain that the CT is negative; there’s nothing growing in Bucky’s brain, and the fall doesn’t seem to have caused any major problems. His blood chemistries are all in order and there’s no sign of any infection or substance abuse. She sutures up the cut that just managed to miss his left eyebrow while she explains that she’d like to get an EEG to follow up to see if there’s any sign that this could happen again, since that’s the standard of care. But, she hypothesizes, it’s most likely got something to do with HYDRA’s electroconvulsive brainwashing, and that he should be prepared for future episodes.

It’s been years since Steve’s had anything to do with the medical field, and things were quite a bit different the last time. He doesn’t have questions, doesn’t know where to start, what with the heart monitor flashing one thing and the blood pressure cuff inflating all on its own, so he just sits beside the bed and holds Bucky’s hand around the bulky padding the put over the railings, in case he had another episode. Nat takes care of writing things down, asking about options, making sure that everyone knows what to do if there is a ‘next time.’ She sits next to Steve, her thigh gently pressed against his throughout their stay. Bucky mostly naps and eats graham crackers with ginger ale. When a few hours have passed and nothing else has changed, one of the assistants brings a wheelchair, but Bucky refuses, instead putting an arm around Steve’s shoulders and letting the other lead him to the elevators and down to the residential floors. 

Bucky’s apartment is still pretty bare, just the furniture that was there to begin with and a few personal items here and there, mostly pictures of him and Steve from before. His bedroom is immaculate—he was a soldier, after all. While Steve helps him change into sweats, Nat unfolds his quilt from the foot of the bed, a weighted blanket that Sam had recommended for flashbacks and nightmares. For when you need to be held but can’t stand the idea of anyone touching you, he’d explained. She waits until Bucky is curled up on his side before laying the blanket over him, adjusting its position when Steve gets into bed as well, resting against the headboard. Bucky drapes one arm over Steve’s legs, humming softly with Steve starts to smooth over Bucky’s hair with slow, light strokes. 

Nat’s about to turn for the door when Steve makes a soft sound at the back of his throat to get her attention and tilts his head toward the empty space beside him on the bed. When she looks inquisitively at Bucky, Steve nods and tugs the covers back a little with his free hand. Doing her best not to disturb the resting man, she slips in beside Steve and takes his hand, resting her head against his shoulder. 

They knew that Bucky wouldn’t ever be the man he was before. But he’d made so much progress, recovering memories and sequestering the Winter Soldier somewhere else in his psyche, learning how to interact with people again, even developing tenuous new friendships. Physically, he’d been stable ever since everything came crashing down, and made sense that whatever kept him alive through falls and freezings would continue to protect him. Until this.

Steve waits until Bucky falls asleep, his breathing slow and even, before allowing himself to collapse, ever so slightly, squeezing Nat’s hand and looking at her with the most uncertainty he’s let show in a long time. She offers a half smile and a shrug, running her thumb over Steve’s. He’ll be okay; he’s been through worse, although she’s not quite sure which one of them she means. She keeps watch as Steve drifts off, his head leaning back against the wall with one hand resting tangled in Bucky’s hair, the other enmeshed with hers.


End file.
